Playgrounds, Balls & Promises Kept
by Corrupted Desires
Summary: Written Prior to DH. Capturing three moments in time over twenty years, a youthful promise reaches fulfillment. Charlie & Hermione CWHG or HGCW Complete
1. Of Playgrounds & Balls

**Title:** Of Playgrounds and Balls

**Author:** ji aka Corrupted Desires

**Disclaimer:** Currently plotting to kidnap the twins...

**Rating:** G

**Pairing:** Charlie/Hermione

**Summary:** A moment of recognition.

**A/N: **I originally wrote this two-part ficlet for the livejournal community Books & Freckles, but it did so well there I figured I would share it here as well. Hope you all enjoy and remember... Reviews are like live-sustaining candy! winks

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Freshly out of his first year at Hogwarts, twelve year old Charlie Weasley was now, along with the rest of the Weasley clan, taking a family day together at the park. Thanks to his father's obsession, they were spending the day at a pretty Muggle park that Arthur had found several weeks before the end of the term.

The park itself was almost picturesque with it's large, intricate playground of metal and colorful plastic, well manicured lawns and trees that seemed to be designed just for climbing and dozens of picnic tables and benches scattered around and a shallow, decorative fountain off to one side. From the houses visible around the edges of the rather large park, it was in one of the upper-middle class Muggle neighborhoods. It was easy to see how Arthur could have loved a place like this; it seemed to be a combination of the Burrow and the Muggle world.

Glancing around for something to do, Charlie saw his older brother Bill attempting to chat up a couple of Muggle girls near his own age. Turning his attention further, he saw the twins chasing Ron around the playground. Judging by the shrieks coming from Ron, one of the twins seemed to have a spider on a stick he was brandishing at his younger brother. Continuing on, Charlie's gaze fell on Percy and he smiled slightly. Percy had removed his shoes and rolled up the legs of his pants and was carefully wading through a shallow fountain. Of course his precautions did nothing to keep him dry as he was holding the hands of their little sister Ginny as she splashed happily in the cool, clear water.

"Go on and play, Charlie. We'll call you when it's time for lunch."

Charlie turned to look over his shoulder, blushing slightly as he saw his mother and father snuggled together on a large, thick blanket and watching their children. "I was just trying to decide what to do first, mum." With a lopsided smile, Charlie ventured forth into the realm of the Muggle park.

Though initially joining Bill for a bit, his preteen efforts to capture the heart of one of the teen Muggle girls only earning him a few soft giggles and a look of amusement from his older brother, Charlie gave up that effort and decided to try his luck on the playground. After all, the bright construction of plastic and metal wasn't nearly as intimidating as the giggling girls had been...

He soon learned that the playground wasn't safe either. The twins had trapped Ron at the top of one of the slides and were confidently holding him captive while causing trouble for the two dozen or so other kids playing. Charlie only managed to try all the various ways of playing on the construct once each before he got tired of dodging screaming kids and quit the playground to venture forth and discover what interesting things could be found among the trees and plants. Maybe if he was lucky, he could carefully snag some poison ivy to stick in Bill's underwear drawer when he got home...

It was a bit after noon when he came across a little girl sitting all alone under a large weeping willow tree. While the tree itself was an enigma to Charlie, as he had never seen one actually weeping, the fact that a little girl about five, no more than six, was sitting all alone beneath one drew his curious attention. He slowly made his way toward the little girl, his head tilted like an inquisitive puppy. About fifteen feet away from her, he stopped and watched her for a bit.

The girl was wearing a pale blue summer dress, a white ribbon held her thick brown hair up into a ponytail and matching white sandals adorned her little feet. She was currently sitting on a rather large book for her age, presumably to keep from getting her pretty blue dress from getting dirty. The spine of the book, barely visible from beneath the blue material, seemed to say something about dragons.

As Charlie watched the little girl, she turned slightly, holding her hands carefully as a shimmering green dragonfly perched on her fingers. He watched her humming to herself as she pet the insect, the color changing from green to purple and then blue as he watched. She was a little witch!

Looking back over his shoulder to check on where his family currently was, Charlie's attention was broken by the sound of a young, piping voice.

"I won't bite, you know... You can come and pet my little dragon if you want."

Whirling, Charlie found himself lost in deep, intelligent pools of molten chocolate and a dazzlingly brilliant smile. Neither Charlie nor the little girl moved, eyes locked in a moment that was almost like recognition. It wasn't until a soft sighing sound was heard that the spell was broken and neither was certain just where the sound had come.

Giving the girl a nod, he walked slowly over and sat down on the grass near the girl, being careful not to make eye contact again as he carefully reached out a hand for the insect. The bug tolerated the foreign touch for only a moment before whatever spell the little witch had woven broke and it flew away.

The girl sighed wistfully. "I want to ride a real dragon one day." She told the boy, turning another captivating look upon the older boy.

Without thinking, Charlie nodded and, in a sudden moment of inspiration brought about by being trapped by her eyes once more, he made a solemn vow. "I'll make sure you do." It was his preteen ego and Gryffindor bravery that decided to add the next bit to that vow. "In fact, I'll find the best dragon just for you to fly." He gave the enchanting little girl a lopsided smile.

Squealing softly in delight, the girl rose from her perch atop the book and pressed her lips against his cheek. Instantly, Charlie turned red to the roots of his hair.

"Hermione!" The calling voice of a distant woman broke the moment. "Hermione! Its time to go home for lunch!"

Giving Charlie one last grin, never remembering to actually introduce herself to the boy, the girl, Hermione, jumped up. She grabbed her book about dragons and raced from beneath the swaying branches of the weeping willow and off toward the distant woman.

"Who was that?"

Charlie spun around, almost falling over as Bill's voice startled him. He stared at his brother with wide eyes for a moment before saying the first thing that managed to plow through his muddled thoughts. "She's mine." He blinked. "Er..."

Bill laughed outright at that. "Possessive much? I just wanted to know her name." He laughed some more. "Come on, lover boy. Lunch is ready."

The beet red Charlie stood, giving Bill a bit of a shove before heading back to their picnic.

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Some years later...

It was the Hogwarts Yule Ball, the Triwizard Tournament forgotten for the moment as the students and staff alike danced. Off to one side, currently staying out of the way as he munched on a treacle tart, a much older Charlie Weasley seemed to have lost all ability to move. There, across the dance floor, a girl in a pale blue dress had just entered the Hall.

As she looked around, eyes sparkling with delight at the reactions of her peers, their eyes met for just a moment and Charlie felt the familiar tingle of recognition. It was the same dazzling smile, the same pools of molten chocolate and he was lost once more. This time it was the oaf at her side that broke the momentary connection and Charlie slipped out of the Hall before it could happen again.

He smiled to himself as he walked toward the edge of the school's grounds, plans starting to form in his mind now that he had found his little dragon girl once more. Two soft words filled with promise whispered in the wind just before he vanished into the night.

"She's mine..."

**-TBC-**

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**A/N:** No, I have absolutely no intentions of making a sequel to this one! No more one-shot series from me! It was just something that came to mind and rolled off my fingers at the spur of the moment.


	2. Of Promises Kept

**Title:** Of Promises Kept

**Author:** ji aka Corrupted Desires

**Disclaimer:** Currently plotting to kidnap the twins...

**Rating:** PG for implied alcohol use and drool inducing mental imagery

**Pairing:** Charlie/Hermione

**Summary:** A promise kept.

**A/N: **After writing the first one and promising to **not** write a sequel, the song _Flying Dreams_ by Kenny Loggins came on my playlist and started this work floating in my head...

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"I have a surprise for you..."

At the sound of the slightly hesitant voice, Hermione lifted her head from her report. She was currently taking a week break from her Ministry job at The Burrow. Almost everyone in the Wizarding World had this particular week off in celebration of Harry's defeat of Voldemort. But as always, even on break she had to have some work to keep her occupied. Thus she wasn't expecting one of the Weasley's to disturb her in the middle of perfectly wonderful Quidditch playing weather.

Hermione's molten chocolate gaze traveled slowly up from her parchment to see muscular thighs encased in tight dragonhide trousers, firm abs hidden beneath a black muscle shirt. Developed pectorals and shoulders met her roaming eyes as she silently thanked whomever decided dragon taming required tight clothing. Pools of chocolate paused for just a moment at the gently crimson flick of a dragon's tail from an enchanted tattoo caressed the neck of one Charlie Weasley as her eyes finally rose enough to take in his face and drive out enough drool inducing thoughts of her tongue following the path of the tail to take in the fact that he was grinning now... As well as holding out a blindfold expectantly.

"And just what kinky fetish did you have in mind for this surprise?" It wasn't until Hermione watched Charlie blink with surprise and turn a brilliant red to match his hair that she realized what she had said.

Running a hand nervously through his hair in an effort to help control his blush, Charlie cleared his throat. "Well... I guess you'll just have to find out, won't you?" He gave a lopsided grin and offered out the blindfold again.

Taking a moment to nibble on her lower lip, Hermione regarded Charlie's face for several moments. A fiery sparkle from the left side of his face drew her eye for a moment and she allowed her gaze to flicker to the fire topaz earring he wore, remembering how he had gotten the piercing after the war.

It had been after the post war celebration, both Charlie and Hermione were more than just a bit tipsy when they had wandered into Muggle London with Fred and George. Charlie had made a comment about not finding a girlfriend because of the scar he now carried on his left cheek because of the war and Hermione had turned around, dragging him into a nearby tattoo parlour. She had told him that if he was so worried about his looks, then he needed something fiery and beautiful to offset the scar.

Though neither would ever believe the twins tale of that night, Charlie had apparently asked Hermione if she were planning on gluing herself to his face. Fred and George swore that she had then licked Charlie's scar and given him one of her fire topaz earrings for his piercing. But Charlie had refused unless Hermione got a tattoo. He claimed that if he had to get a piercing like she had, then she had to get a tattoo. And she had, the small of her back had a winged lioness done the Muggle way that was later enchanted to move.

Realizing that her mind had wandered a bit too long and that Charlie's expression was turning anxious, Hermione turned her dazzling smile to him. "A surprise sounds like just what I need at the moment." And she closed her eyes, smiling as he tied the blindfold in place.

Taking her hands within his, Charlie lead Hermione out of The Burrow and a into the field before wrapping his arms around her and apparating.

It only took a moment to travel to the middle of nowhere. Unable to see, Hermione knew she wasn't anywhere near a town or city by the clean scent of the air and the lack of any sound other than Charlie's heart beating. He remained holding her for so long that for a moment, she thought he had forgotten why he had taken her away from her report.

"Charlie?"

Reluctantly letting go, Charlie chuckled softly. "Sorry, just got lost in thought for a moment." Thankfully she was still blindfolded and couldn't see his blush. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and steered her in a specific direction until he finally stopped and pulled the blindfold away...

Hermione gasped at the sight in front of her and turned to look at Charlie with wide eyes. "What.. I don't.."

Grinning at her loss of words, Charlie gestured for her to take in the surprise once more. As she turned her attention back, she couldn't help but wonder at the trace of hopefulness in his expression.

Lying down before them, a custom made silvery harness nearby, a large dragon was curled up and appeared to be sleeping. The dragon must have been a good fifty or sixty feet long, sleek with muscle and pearly blue in color. It didn't seem as if it had scales, but the opalescent shimmer on it's hide gave it a jewel-like quality. The dragon's wings were folded as it dozed, the ridges and knobs along it's head and spine almost seeming to be built to allow someone to ride it. As she watched, the dragon started to wake.

Stretching like an over sized house cat, the dragon flicked it's tail as it spread it's wings. The wings were at least a hundred feet across and Hermione watched, entranced, as the large sapphire eyes opened.

"Oh Charlie... She's beautiful." Hermione didn't know how she knew that the dragon was female, but she did. So riveted on the dragon was she, that it took Hermione a full thirty minutes to remember. "I don't think I've ever seen a dragon like this. What breed is she?"

Charlie couldn't keep the smile from his face as he watched Hermione's every reaction to her surprise. "Her breed doesn't have a name yet. She's the first of her kind to be found... And she's your's." As he watched her eyes (eyes that were still locked on the dragon) widen, Charlie leaned toward Hermione's ear. "Are you ready to fly on a dragon?"

Eyes impossibly wide, Hermione whipped her head toward Charlie. Molten chocolate hues seared as she searched his for a memory. It seemed impossible for her to move as Charlie leaned closer still. "I told you that I would find the best dragon... Just for you to fly."

His hopeful gaze was searching, waiting until the moment he saw the memory connect in her eyes before he finished his move, lips grazing against hers.

Hermione was stunned as the memory came back to her, but anything she might have said was cut off before it could even form and she deepened the intensity of the kiss. Things seemed to fall into place as she recognized what had been started nearly twenty years previously.

Breaking the kiss, Charlie smiled at Hermione and it was filled with such love that she nearly lost her breath as she watched him walk over and place the harness on the dragon. A short time later and she was nestled closely in front of Charlie astride the dragon's neck. Her fear of heights vanished as the dragon sprang into the sky and she felt at home. Her smile grew as she felt Charlie nuzzle against her neck and heard him whisper four words that meant more to her than anything...

"Now... You _are_ mine."

**-Fin-**

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**A/N:** There. I feel complete on this tale. I hope everyone liked it.


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